Edinburgh Fringe 2021 – really? Is that even possible? Well, if you’d told us this time last year, that a year later, we would be preparing for a Monologue Marathon in Edinburgh, we would have told you to get lost before you could say ‘Barnard Castle’. But guess what? We’re actually going!
live-streams in lockdown
During lockdowns 1, 2 & 3 we were lucky enough to be able to live-stream all six of our BARD HEADS Monologues twice with intoBodmin and Tortive Theatre. We were delighted that all twelve live-streams reached audiences nationwide and globally (well america, japan, dubai, europe and south africa) – a larger audience than we have ever reached in the whole of the last decade of touring. It sustained us in many ways, keeping our creative muscles and juices Toned and flowing! We felt incredibly lucky to be able to work when so many in our industry couldn’t. but still we never dreamt that Edinburgh Fringe could possibly be on the cards this year of all years.
And then Ben at Tortive Theatre – who had been responsible for hosting the Lockdown Live Bard Heads in January and February 2021 – suggested that Edinburgh Fringe 2021 might be just the thing for us. It will be smaller inevitably with no international artists there. We’re still waiting for a decision on social distancing measures which will mean smaller audiences but we’re prepared for whatever awaits us. We have a venue, we have a time slot and we have six shows almost ready to go! The biggest challenge facing us currently is getting two actors, six shows and luggage for a month in a Dacia Sandero!
Crowd Funding!
To assist us to get all six shows and ourselves to Edinburgh in August, we launched a KICKSTARTER Crowdfunding Campaign for 30 days at midday on 17 May. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and strangers who have so far backed us 110%! Unbelievably we smashed our funding goal within 48 hours and so this means that we can now afford to stream the shows once a week so that people who are not at the festival can enjoy them too, With the Kickstarter Campaign we are offering rewards including complimentary tickets to one of our shows in Edinburgh or later in the year when we are on tour……….oh, did I not mention that before? A tour of Bard Heads is in the offing too – I mean, really, would you give it credence?!
There’s dog, a book and a scandal…and Friar Lawrence. 
Miranda is longing to be back on her island! 
Hermia remembers an awkward moment with Demetrius. 
Osric re-lives his appearance on a popular TV chat show. 
Meg, the third witch from the left, needs help. 
Malvolio has been on an anger management course.
Back in Primary Schools in June
And then prior to all this Edinburgh malarkey, we are back in Primary Schools throughout June. We’ll be delivering interactive workshops on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest and Macbeth plus running two Shakespeare Project Weeks on Macbeth and The Tempest in Uttoxeter, Wokingham, London and Peterborough. Bubbles and other Covid Safe protocols will be in place so there will be a lot of filming coming up over the next month and much to tell you about in July.
In the meantime, hold tight everyone, enjoy the odd hug, don’t go mad and let’s all keep as safe as possible. The tide is turning at last……(fingers tightly crossed).
Oh and if you do want to join us on the Edinburgh Monologue Marathon you’re very welcome on board!
